McC Christmas Cheer 2012 in a Pete green spigot XL90 Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
So what advice would members have to one totally inexperienced with pipe smoking? I use to often see nice used briar pipes at estate sales but not sure I would want to use another persons mouthpiece. Would 50$ get one a simple, traditional, well made pipe?
I have not purchased a new pipe in a long time, so their may be new pipes of reasonable quality within that price range.
Based on my past exprerience an estate pipe is really your best bet to getting a well made pipe at that price range. Sites such as pipesandcigars and smokingpipes have estate pipes that have been sanatized and cleaned up. You can also search their pipes for new pipes by price range. There use dto be a guy from the St Louisia area that was on Ebay and had his on site that typically had good deals on estates. I can not find his site at the moment. Some of the other pipe smokers may now who I am referring to.
A great smoking pipe for cheap is actually a corn cob pipe. Skip the filters and break it in right and they last a long time without major expense. It’s a good way to see if you enjoy a pipe without breaking the bank.
edit - cupojoes has a starter kit for around $50.00. They were always good to deal with in the past
Crap…now I am looking at pipes again…
I was in a Cincinnati Cigar and Pipe shop today, Straus Tobacconist, and they did have some decent looking pipes around that price. Non-branded but traditional shapes. Looked to be better grade than basket pipes. You just nver know how they will smoke. Some shops carry 2nds. They may have come across a sand pit in the briar just as they were finishing the shape and it required a little too much wood filler. Typically they will smoke well.
Also Nording used to make some traditional shaped pipes that were not finished. The oils from your hand and from the tobacco would color the pipe over time. I had a couple and they were good smokers. Nording also has the Compass line. Not really traditional but I would give one a try.
Thanks for all the useful information Slide. Would you say that pipe smoking lingers less than cigar? I mean if I was smoking on a walk, as my lady cannot stand the smell of cigars, and I must say I do not care for the lingering odor in sweaters and such. Also, is their a reason outside of Anglophile tendencies that make Italian piles less valuable? Thanks again and all the best!
There are some very high end Italian pipes as well. Every country has some that could pay for a decent used car lol
Any smoke can linger on you even when smoking on the move. But most find pipe tobacco smells pleasing. But the lingering smell is probably the reason fancy people had smoking jackets.
Samuel Gawith Cabbies mixture. Nice cool long relaxing smoke, the kind of tobacco that makes you stand still and enjoy the bowl right down to the bottom. Some reviews say it’s hard to pack and stay lit but a little air time before you light up has that one sorted. Plenty of Nick but not over powering. I think if I ever win the lottery I will buy one Tim of every single Samuel Gawith tobacco and work my way through every single one.
I see that most SG tobaccos are out of stock via US online retailers. Would one assume the ones that are not have been sitting around a long time?
@snuffandsympathy SG tobacco disappears quickly when it comes in stock. Especially the Full Virginia Flake
That is one I have never had, but it sound like it would be in my wheelhouse!
I am a VaPer guy. Through in some dark fired Kentucky and I am good to go!
I opened a mason jar of Homborger Veermaster that I canned in June of '13.
The minute I opened it I was greeted with a strong plummy scent. Virginia’s are wonderful after five or ten years of aging.
GH Grasmere flake.
My Mixture 965, my first pipe tobacco. Love the whatever little smoky flavour I can detect. Am told thats the Latakia I’m tasting. Do we have snuffs like that? Like a typical English blend or the so-called Lat Bomb?
Yes, SWS Latakia Blend contains Latakia tobacco.
https://snuffstore.co.uk/collections/sir-walter-scotts/products/sir-walter-scotts-latakia-blend
Mind you, this snuff comes non-alkalized. Description is misleading, though - the actual potency is low.
Rattrays Hal‘o the wynd in the pipe and some sws 50/50 in the nose. Nice combo
Pease Quiet Nights. Great, oriental-heavy bowl